The Baker's Noble Son
by Izzy Samson
Summary: Peeta is a humble baker's son who falls in love with a mysterious huntress in the woods as a child. After he is tossed from his home he sets off to the King's castle in hopes of finding employment and his love. Yet an entirely different fate awaits him; a throne and a princess. Although he may still get the girl of his dreams, because there was more to the huntress than he knew.
1. Chapter 1

The Baker's Noble Son

A story not based on any particular tale but includes elements from several of Grimm's fairytales: mistaken identities, a good fairy, a wicked gnome, a proud and stubborn princess, and unexpected wedding night confessions. Peeta is a humble baker's son who falls in love with a mysterious huntress in the woods as a child. Years later, after he is tossed from his home he sets off to the King's castle in hopes of finding employment and his love. Yet an entirely different fate awaits him; a throne and a princess. Although he may still get the girl of his dreams, because there was more to the huntress than Peeta ever knew.

**This fic has been written for THG Fairy Tale Challenge. **

**I would like to thank my wonderful and talented betas, Court81981 and kismet4891, I am so luck to work with such gifted ladies!**

**The Baker's Noble Son**

**Chapter 1**

Once upon a time in a quiet village far, far away, there lived a baker and his lovely wife who went by the surname of Mellark. They had one very beloved son who they named Petrus, but because of his father's trade, he was most often called Peeta.

One summer day when Peeta was six, his father sent him out into the woods to gather kindling for the bakery's ovens. In the forest, Peeta noticed that no birds were chirping, instead he heard what he thought was the loveliest voice singing a ballad. He found the source of the voice when he saw that it belonged to an olive-skinned little girl with two dark braids, who was dressed as a hunter, carrying a bow and quiver, and wandering the woods leading a pony. Peeta was utterly taken by her at first sight.

He asked the girl, "Are you lost?"

"No, I am not lost," the girl replied indignantly and gave him scowl. "I was hunting in the forest, and my pony was spooked and ran far away from my father's hunting party. I sing so that my father may find me."

Despite the girl's brave expression, Peeta could tell she was scared. He thought that he may be able to comfort her and offered, "Would you like to share my lunch with me while you wait for your father to find you? I have cheese buns that my father and I made."

"Well," the little girl licked her lips hungrily, "it has been a long while since breakfast, and I do favor cheese buns."

The two sat and shared Peeta's lunch. They giggled and chatted easily about the sort of things that small children do. The girl told Peeta that she lived in the king's castle and that her father was teaching her how to be a huntress. Peeta told her that he lived in the nearby village and that he wanted to be a baker some day. He asked her about her favorite color, and she said it was green like the forest. The girl asked him what his was, and he told her that it was orange, like the sunset.

Soon the birds again stopped their song, and Peeta heard a man's strong, clear voice singing the same ballad that the girl had been. "That is my papa, I should go to him now," the little girl announced and collected her pony and bow. She then looked to Peeta and shyly said, "Thank you for the cheese buns. They were the very best I ever tasted…also, you have very lovely blue eyes."

"You're welcome," Peeta replied and blushed brightly, then held her pony so that she could mount it. "You have very pretty grey eyes, and I think that your braids are beautiful too."

"Thank you," she whispered bashfully and started to sing her song, waved to Peeta and rode her pony away.

Peeta quickly gathered his kindling and rushed back home. When he got back to the bakery, his father asked him how his journey was. The boy smiled widely and told his father, "I have met my wife today, Father. She is a huntress with dark hair, shining grey eyes, lives in a castle, and has a voice so wonderful that the birds fall quiet when she sings."

"She sounds lovely, Peeta," the baker laughed, thinking that it was simply an imaginative story made up by his creative son. "Pray tell, what is her name?"

Crestfallen, the boy suddenly realized that he had never asked for her name. "I do not know, Father, but I love her dearly."

The baker patted his son on the head and consoled him. "If it is meant to be then you shall meet her again."Peeta and his father did not speak of it again, other than when his father wanted to affectionately tease his son about his future bride. Despite the briefness of their meeting, the little huntress was never far from Peeta's mind.

Six years passed; the baker's kind wife diedand in time he had remarried to a widow with two sons slightly older than his own. Peeta's stepmother was an awful, greedy woman who made the family eat stale bread and spoiled her sons while she forced Peeta to go without. One day Peeta was sent out into the woods to chop trees to burn in the bakery's oven while his stepbrothers were allowed to be idle. When Peeta asked for the help of one his stepbrothers, his stepmother struck him hard across the face.

While in the woods, he noticed all the birds of the forest suddenly stilled, and Peeta heard a girl's voice singing a sad, lonesome song. He followed it to its source, and he again found his huntress. She had aged six years, now wore one braid instead of two, and her expression was sorrowful. The girl rode a horse and heard Peeta approaching and turned her steed to hurry away.

"Please, huntress wait," Peeta called out, "I think that we have met before in this very place."

The huntress looked at him and examined him for a moment and then replied, "Yes, I think that we met in this very forest many years ago." She gave him the very smallest of smiles and said, "You shared some very delicious cheese buns with me, as I recall."

"Yes, I did," Peeta grinned widely at the memory. "Sadly, I do not have any today. Although I think that my father has put some nut bread into my knapsack for me to eat while I work. You could join me again, if you like. It is burnt, but once you pare off the crust, it is very delicious indeed."

"Then I must have some, with you," the girl agreed and they sat on a stump, shared Peeta's bread, and did not say much at all, like what often happens with boys and girls of their age.

Peeta finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Why is your song so sad? Are you lost again today?"

"No," the girl sighed then elaborated, "I know my location, but my heart is lost. My father has died and my mother has fallen into melancholy. I have a little sister to comfort, and much responsibility has been laid on my shoulders that I am not yet ready to handle."

"I know your pain," he commiserated, "my mother has died, and my father married a woman whom he thought was pleasant, but she really is not."

"Was it she who hit you?" Katniss asked him with concern in her voice as she looked at his bruised cheek.

"Yes," Peeta admitted looking at the ground. He then lifted his gaze to the girl and explained more cheerfully, "But I do not fret because I know that things will be better again someday."

"How do you know this?" the huntress wondered.

"Because of this."Peeta reached into his shirt and pulled a fine bronze chain over his head and showed the girl the pendant that hung from it.

The girl looked at it for a moment as she studied the image of a bloom etched onto it. "Is that a _dandelion_?"

"Yes." Peeta smiled. "It was my mother's; she always said that dandelions were a sign of hope."

"How so?" she questioned curiously.

"That no matter how harsh or long the winter," he said wisely and met her silver-grey eyes, which looked at him in wonder, "that the dandelions will always come up in the spring. Just like no matter how bad our lives get, eventually things will be better again."

"I never thought about it like that," she said thoughtfully. "It is lovely."

"I would like you to have it," he said and slipped it over her head before she could protest. He knew that his father would be disappointed; itwas meant to be given to Peeta's wife someday—such a token was a common engagement gift in his village. But Peeta feared that his stepmother would find it and take it from him, like she had so many other things. So he reasoned that he would rather have around the neck of the girl he had dreamt of for years rather than seeing his stepmother snatch it and sell it.

"I cannot accept this," the girl exclaimed and went to remove the token.

Peeta stilled her hands with his own and affirmed, "No, I would like you to have it."

"I have nothing with me to give you in return," the girl protested.

"I ask for nothing," he insisted, "Except for perhaps, for your name."

The girl's eyes went wide in surprise. "You do not know my name?"

"Nay, I do not. You have never given it to me," Peeta reminded her.

"Oh," the girl looked a little relieved, "I like to be called Katniss."

"Like the flower?" he commented.

"Yes," she softly said. "It is what the people who truly care for me call me by. What is your name?"

"Peeta," he answered brightly, "like the bread. It is what everyone one calls me by."

Peeta was rewarded with the smallest of giggles, causing his entire being to be enveloped in pure joy. With that little laugh, he knew that his heart would be forever hers.

There was a blast of horn from far away, Katniss jerked her head towards the forest, and her face again became somber. "My hunting party is looking for me. I must go now."

Peeta took the reins of her horse and held the animal for her so that she could mount it. She looked down at him. "I remember once you said that you were going to be a baker in the village," she said bashfully. "But if you ever need a place to stay or a new station in life, go to the king's castle and tell the staff that Katniss owes you a favor. They will find me, and I will make a place for you there."

"If I ever have need, I shall," he promised. "Will you never be out in this neck of the woods ever again?"

Another blast of a horn, only much closer. Katniss gave Peeta a bittersweet expression and sighed, "I have a feeling that after today I shall never be allowed to wander alone again." She reached into her game bag and pulled out three squirrels and handed them to Peeta. "Please take these. It is the least that I can give you."

Peeta took the squirrels and looked them over; each of them had been struck in the eye. "You must be an expert mark," Peeta praised.

"My father used to say that I am the best in the kingdom," Katniss boasted.

"Thank you, Katniss, we shall eat like kings tonight," Peeta proclaimed.

"It would be a humble king, indeed, to think that squirrel would be a fine feast," she smiled. Peeta took her hand and pressed kiss to her knuckles. She allowed his lips to linger for a moment before she removed her hand from Peeta's and then pushed a lock of his thick, blond hair from his brow, "Thank you Peeta, for everything and farewell." She then placed a long kiss on his brow. "I hope that we shall meet again."

"Farewell, Katniss the huntress," he bid her, she nodded and rode away. Peeta felt as if a part of him left with the girl who wore his token, he felt bound to her in a way some unexplainable way.

Peeta quickly completed his task and returned to his father's bakery as speedily as he could, in hopes of not raising his stepmother's ire. The baker was happy to see his son return. "So what happened in the forest today, my son?"

"Father, I met my love again today," Peeta told him dreamily.

"Ah, was it the huntress who lives in the castle again?" the baker joked good-naturedly.

Peeta produced the three squirrels and smiled at his father's surprised reaction. "Her name is Katniss, and I love her more dearly than ever."

The baker chuckled as he inspected the game, and he never doubted his son's story again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorite-ed, and followed this story.**

**I also would like to thank everlarkrecs for coming up with the THG Fairy Tale Challenge, this has been a lot of fun!**

**Although most of all I would like my lovely and talented betas Court81981, and kismet4891. Thanks to them this story has turned into something special. Thanks ladies!**

**Not only are they wonderful betas they are very talented writers. I suggest looking up there works if you want something excellent to read!**

**The Baker's Noble Son **

**Chapter 2**

During the next six years, Peeta clung to the memory of Katniss and cherished it. The thought of the dark-haired huntress would get him through many trialing times. His stepmother worked him to exhaustion, and her sons were cruel to Peeta. He would sometimes think of leaving and finding Katniss at the castle, but he could not abandon his father who had become ill and only Peeta tended to him. As the years passed, Peeta became tall and broad and very strong as well as and a master baker. In the spring of his eighteenth year, sadly, his father died. The day that the baker was buried Peeta's stepmother threw him from the house and the bakery, allowing him to take nothing but a few days worth of bread, a skin full of water, and the clothes on his back.

Peeta was sad and full of grief, but he remembered Katniss's offer many years prior, and so he had an inkling of hope. He imagined that he would be able find her in the castle's employ as a huntress and that she may be able to recommend him to the cook and perhaps he might be able to find a place in the kitchens. Maybe with much luck, he may find her unattached and that over time he may win her heart.

Peeta set off into the forest and soon heard cries of distress; he ran towards the commotion and soon found a nobleman on a horseback being robbed by three vagabonds.

"Hey, stop, I say," Peeta commanded of the thieves.

They laughed at him and one asked, "What will you do, peasant? You do not even have a weapon to stop us."

"I will make you a bet," Peeta said confidently. "If I can best the strongest of you in a wrestling match then you can have all that both this man and I have. If I win, you will let us go unharmed."

The three laughed, released their hostage, and discussed amongst themselves. While they were talking, the man who they were trying to rob stumbled to Peeta; he was short and stocky and had unkempt hair and reeked of rye and wine. His clothes were expensive, but were stained and soiled. He grumbled to Peeta, "Do you know what you are doing, boy?"

Peeta looked at the olive-skinned man and stared into his grey, blood shot eyes; he thought that they were familiar, but dismissed the notion. "Yes, sir I do," he confided in the man, "I used to have to wrestle both of my stepbrothers at one time, and sometimes also their friends. These men will be nothing."

The drunken man huffed and shook his head. "Good luck boy. Much rides on you."

The three thieves chose the largest among them to face Peeta; he was a head taller than Peeta and looked very fierce. "Go get him, Brutus!" they cheered.

Peeta quickly bested the larger man, who had made the mistake of underestimating the boyish-looking baker's son. Soon the giant of a man lay on the forest floor after Peeta gripped him around the throat and caused him to pass out. The other two thieves became enraged, and they jumped in to fight also. He was able to throw one into the woods as if he was nothing but a sack of flour, and he twisted the other's arm until it snapped. The two men grabbed Brutus and drug him away into the woods.

The drunken man, who Peeta had defended, chuckled in disbelief and slapped Peeta on the back. "Well, boy, you did it. Come and rest and I shall share my meal with you."

Peeta sat with the man, and they spoke for a while as they shared meat, white bread, and wine. "What is your name and where are you heading?" the man asked Peeta.

"My name is Petrus Mellark," he replied, "and I'm headed to the king's castle."

The man appraised Peeta and inquired, "Do you go to compete for the princess's hand?" Peeta shook his head in ignorance; his village was isolated and on the furthest reaches of the kingdom. "Have you not heard!? The king's eldest niece and heir, Princess Katarine Teresa, is a stubborn sort of lass who has rejected all suitors presented before her."

"I have always heard the crown princess was beloved by the people," Peeta commented; stories of the crown princess always pronounced her to bekind and generous, yet somber.

"Oh, she is beloved by all who know her, although she butts heads with her uncle. He demands that she chooses a noble bridegroom who will someday be king, as the law commands. She has agreed, but only on the condition that the man must win her hand. She has proclaimed that she will only marry a man who could pass the three challenges of her choosing. Many have tried and failed—noblemen, knights, and princes alike. I thought perhaps that a strong young man such as you would go to try to win her hand. That would be a very fine achievement, indeed."

Peeta smiled and laughed. "No, I go to seek employment in the castle's kitchen. I have no lofty goals such as becoming king, I am a baker's son and not a nobleman," Peeta explained. "My stepmother has thrown me from my house and has given my father's bakery and my livelihood to my stepbrothers. Once, many years ago, I met a dark-haired girl in the woods that lived there, and she said would find me a place there if I ever had a need."

The drunken man smiled wideand then asked, "Tell me boy, what was the name of this girl?"

"Katniss," Peeta replied dreamily, thinking of the maiden that had grown and matured in his dreams as he had.

The man laughed and took a long draw from his flask. "I know this maiden, the huntress. For, I too, live in the castle." Peeta assumed that the man must be a servant of the king. The man removed a ring from his finger and handed it to Peeta; it was a golden signet ring with the relief of a bird carrying an arrow in its mouth, the seal of their kingdom. "Here take this ring with you to the castle. I see you have no weapon, so please also take this dagger," the man said and untied a jewel-encrusted scabbard from his belt and gave it to Peeta. "It will ensure that you have a safe and prosperous journey." Peeta tried to refuse but the grey-eyed man insisted. "Give them back to me when you arrive at the castle."

Peeta put on the items and the drunkard gave Peeta directions to the castle, directions that seemed very far out of the way. He asked, "Is not that portion of the wood haunted and filled with magical creatures? I have heard stories of a wicked gnome who gobbles up children."

"Yes, his name is Snowbeard. Anyone who kills him and brings the king his whiskers would be celebrated," the man confirmed, "But you have nothing to fear if you are pure of heart. The ring belongs to King Haymitch the Victor whom the malevolent creatures of the forest fear. The dagger is made of blessed silver and can dispatch the evil beings."

Peeta walked down the appointed path, and soon he found himself on a darkened trail. He heard the shrill screaming of a child and saw a small, ugly man with a long beard, gnashing his teeth, knife in hand, trying to climb the tree from where Peeta heard the crying child. Peeta drew his dagger. "Snowbeard, leave that child be or I will kill you."

The vile little creature sneered at him."'Tis only a little gypsy girl. Let me eat her, and I will give you a sack full of gold coins."

"Gypsy or royalty it does not matter. I say let her go!" Peeta demanded.

Snowbeard cackled wickedly. "I am an immortal and can only be killed by an innocent with a silver blade." The creature lunged up the tree to get the girl.

"Then your fate has come!" The baker's son grabbed the nasty little man by his long white beard and then slit his throat and then cut the beard from his face. A sack of coins fell during the struggle. Peeta picked it up and put it in his pocket along with the gnome's beard.

When he looked up into the tree, he found the gypsy girl with large brown eyes. He consoled the child. "Do not cry…all is now well; the gnome is dead and will not harm anyone anymore."

The child sniffled and looked at him wearily. Peeta could tell that she was unsure if she could trust him or not.

He raised his arms to her to help her from the tree andsmiled at her. "Fear not, sweet child I will help you to find your family. My name is Petrus Mellark, but you may call me Peeta like all my friends do." She relaxed and allowed him to help her out of the tree. He posed to her, "Tell me your name and how you came to be in that tree."

"My name is Rue, my prince," the girl whispered."Snowbeard lured me into the enchanted part of the forest pretending that he was my father injured in the woods. I ran from him and climbed this tree once I knew who he truly was," she sobbed. "I am far from my family's camp, I have lost my shoes in the chase, and I am cold and hungry."

Peeta laughed at being called a prince, and despite the bitter cold, he removed his cloak and wrapped her up in it, "I am not a prince or even a noble man. I am but a poor baker's son." He shared with her his bread and water and then carried the child and helped her to find her camp. As he carried her, Rue told Peeta that her parents were traders of fine materials and cloths and fortune tellers, as was she.

Peeta teased her playfully, "Then why did you not see that I am a peasant's son and not a prince."

Rue giggled knowingly. "Ah, you're not royalty now, but you will be soon."

Peeta thought it was simply a fanciful dream of a lost, frightened child and dismissed her comment, and soon he found her camp. There was a brightly painted wagon and a beautifully dressed couple who raced to greet Peeta and Rue. They were Rue's parents and were overjoyed to see her safe and sound. Rue told them the tale of Peeta and Snowbeard. Her parents were horrified and thanked Peeta and entreated him to stay and eat with them. He tried to refuse them out of modesty, but they insisted. He agreed only if they would share gnome's gold with him. Peeta thought since Rue had been Snowbeard's intended meal that she should benefit from his demise girl's father, Cinna, asked that Peeta allow him to sew a new garb for him in return for bringing Rue back to them safely. He admitted to Peeta, "Most men of your kingdom would not have bothered with a little gypsy girl."

"I am not most men," Peeta humbly said.

The girl's mother, Portia, insisted on telling Peeta his fortune. He never believed such things but he listened anyway while Cinna measured him for a garment. "You look simply for a vocation and chance to be near your beloved, a huntress, whom you hardly know and have not seen in many years. You shall be rewarded tenfold for your simple acts of kindness, bravery, and integrity, if you can pass the test that lay yet before you yet."

"Will I find the huntress, and can I win her for my bride?" Peeta asked hopefully.

"You are fated to become ruler of this kingdom," Portia said consciously, "and you have already won the princess's heart and she will love none but you, although she will not recognize you until you are wed."

Peeta was polite and withheld his laughter he reminded himself that he was nothing but a village baker's dispossessed son. The best he could hope for was to find a position that would afford him room and board. He had never in his life met a princess, let alone had one fall in love with him.

With his belly full of delicious food and after many cups of ale, Peeta was exhausted and curled up next to the fire and fell asleep. When he woke, it was late in the morning and Cinna, Portia, and Rue were already packed and gone. Peeta thought for a moment that it all had been a dream, but at his feet, he found a bundle of clothes. There was a crisp white shirt, cobalt blue tunic, and warm black breeches—all of the items were made of the finest, most expensive cloth Peeta had ever seen. They were so impeccable that Peeta resisted putting them on, but his clothes were threadbare and Rue must have kept his tattered cloak and a silver one lined with white fur was left in its place. Peeta put on the handsome clothes, which even included tall black boots and warm hat. He was as well dressed as any noble man. Peeta braided the gnome's beard into a belt, and he hung his bag of coins and the silver dagger from it. Portia must have refilled his knapsack because it was full of food.

Peeta continued on his way. After two days of walking alone, he came upon a shallow river and stopped to refill his skin and rest. When he bent down, he noticed a lovely noblewoman's dress hanging from a tree branch along with a sack heavy with coins. He though it a curious thing and wondered where their owner was.

Peeta heard the voice of a woman said in surprise, "Alas, stranger, I hope that you are not here to do harm to me, for I, but a maiden, am all alone and defenseless."

He then saw from where the voice was coming: a beautiful, auburn-haired woman rose out of the water, as naked as the day she was born. She looked at Peeta with large doe-like eyes and a mischievous smile. Peeta carefully met her gaze and ripped his eyes away from her alabaster skin and pleasing form. "You know you could take all you wanted, and I would be powerless to stop you."

"Dear lady," Peeta spoke confidently, "I do not wish to take anything that is not rightly mine nor that I could return."

"Even if I give it to you willingly?" she inquired and batted her eyes at him as she approached him.

"Yes," Peeta returned pleasantly, when she stood directly before him, "even if I am offered it freely. I have done nothing to earn it."

"It would be simple," she smirked, and ran her hand across his chest,"to steal my purse full of silver and take my virtue."

"My lady, I have not earned your money nor if I took your virtue could I ever return it, so I could not take either one," Peeta reiterated and ignored his body's reaction to the gorgeous naked woman. "Please now, lady you must be cold; let me offer you my cloak until you can redress. While I would not harm you, I cannot say for others in the forest. I ran into vagabonds and an evil gnome during my journey, and I would not be surprised if there were more wicked things about."

The woman laughed gleefully and then snapped her fingers, and she was instantly dressed in her gown. "Peeta Mellark," the woman announced, "you have passed the test."

"What test?" Peeta exclaimed and was shocked that the woman knew his name.

"Are you witless?" the woman questioned. "I am Johanna, a fairy of this forest. You three times resisted taking my virtue and my silver. I also know of your other good deeds. You are truly a good and noble man; you are to be rewarded."

"I do not deserve a reward for simply doing what a good man ought to do," Peeta admonished.

"I beg to differ,"she told him firmly yet happily, "and you shall accept my gifts if want to claim your huntress' heart."

It was Peeta's deepest wish to gain Katniss's affections; he nodded his head. "Yes, milady."

Johanna whistled loudly and a large chestnut colored stallion galloped up to them with a richly detailed saddle and reins. "This is one of your rewards. You cannot hope to impress a huntress without a good mount." Johanna winked and nudged Peeta in the ribs. He blushed when he realized her dual meaning. She rolled her eyes at him."Ah, innocents… you are nearly as pure as your love." Johanna then clapped her hands and a bow and quiver appeared out of nowhere and into Peeta's hands. She told him, "This is an enchanted bow and arrows; you will always hit your mark as long as your intentions are honorable."

"I thank you, Lady Johanna," Peeta said softly. "How can repay you?"

"As I said, you are deserving of all this," Johanna assured him and handed him the sack of coins. "You earned it by saving the rich man, ridding the woods of Snowbeard, comforting the lost gypsy child, not to mention how you endured your awful stepfamily and cared for your dying father."

"How do you know of Katniss?" Peeta wondered aloud.

"I've seen your meetings in the wood all those years ago. I know your huntress very well; she is often in my forest,"Johanna tells Peeta in all seriousness. "She is an obstinate maid."

"You make it sound as if you don't like her," Peeta chuckled.

"I do like her." She shrugged her shoulders. "I feel akin to her, both of us being ladies of the forest. Although I must warn you that she thinks that she has found a way to outsmart her own heart."

"How do you know all this?" Peeta asked.

"I know all that happens in this forest," Johanna said authoritatively. "Katniss was hunting in my realm when she vowed that she would never marry except if he were her one true love, the boy with the bread." Johanna smiled at Peeta. "She made this vow knowing that a marriage between her and the boy was all but impossible."

"Why would such a match be impossible?" Peeta naively asked. He feared that she may already be promised or perhaps even wed.

"Don't not worry yourself with that question now, for all will be known in time," the fairy explained. "All you need to know is that in a few days time you will be holding the girl that you've dreamt of since you were six years old."

Peeta rejoiced and whispered to himself, "Thanks be to God, I am meant to be with my Katniss and the gypsies were wrong about me marrying the princess."

Johanna cleared her throat, letting him know that she'd heard him. "Oh, no, the gypsies were right too."

"How can you and the gypsies both be right?" Peeta askedin disbelief.

"When you go reach the castle you shall see," Johanna taunted and then disappeared, leaving her gifts behind her. Peeta stowed the purse and the bow and arrow, along with his other possessions, mounted the horse, and rode to capitol of his country where the king's castle stood.

**Thanks for reading! Please remember that reviews are very much appreciated. **

**In fact the more reviews I get that faster I tend to update (I'm just saying). This story is already written, and is 6 chapters long. **

**You can also find me at tumblr and Ao3 as izzysamson. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. I was overwhelmed by the response to the last chapter.**

**I would like to thank most of all my wonderful and talented betas, Court81981 and kismet4891. I don't know what I would do without these awesome ladies.**

**The Baker's Noble Son**

**Chapter 3**

Riding into the capitol, Peeta drew much attention: children squealed and maidens giggled and waved, calling, "There is Sir Mellark! He has completed the first challenge!"Peeta was confused by what the people were saying, but he continued on. His only wish was to get to the castle.

Word quickly spread about the handsome and brave Sir Mellark, who had saved the king, had killed Snowbeard, and came to win Princess Katarine Teresa's hand. The castle gates immediately opened for him when the guards saw his signet ring and belt. A stable boy greeted him in the courtyard taking his horse and Peeta asked to be shown to the kitchen. But the stable boy instead directed him to the main hall and to a woman in a bright pink gown and large, elaborate headdress who told him in a cheerful voice, "King Haymitch the Victor has been waiting for you, Sir Mellark. Come with me to his throne room. Don't worry, your things will be taken to your quarters."

Peeta was dismayed but thought it best to do as he was told; while the woman looked silly in her oversized headpiece she did not seem like one to be taken lightly. She led him to a massive hall where a familiar stocky man sat upon a throne, sipping from a tankard. "Lady Trinket, whom have you brought to me?"

"Sire, I have brought who you requested upon his arrival, the noble Sir Mellark," the woman announced before she approached the king and took the mug from his hand. Peeta was surprised to see that the drunken nobleman he had saved in the woods at the start of his journey was really the ruler of the country, and not a servant. He quickly bowed low to the king and laid his dagger, the ring, and the gnome's beard at his feet.

"Go and fetch your students, Effie." The king waved the woman off and then turned to Peeta, belched loudly and announced, "Get up, boy! I have been waiting for you. I have told everyone of how you saved me from the vagabonds in the woods. Then the gypsies came to the castle yesterday and told everyone the tale of the fair-haired, young nobleman, Mellark, who dispatched the evil Snowbeard. In a private audience with me the child, Rue, and her parents told me that she was saved by the future king. I have been waiting and was beginning to worry that perhaps Johanna had her way with you, and that you would never show. That would have been a shame indeed."

"My King, I do not understand," Peeta confessed.

"Ah, my boy, where do I begin?" King Haymitch sighed and rose from his throne. "Four days ago, I was traveling through the woods, trying to figure out what I shall do with my stubborn niece. The fairy Johanna came to me and proclaimed that I would be saved by the man who would win my niece's heart and who would someday rule my kingdom with her. Johanna told me that while he would not be noble by blood that he would be noble in his actions and deeds, and that she would test him to ensure his worth. I purposely sent you down the path where I knew you would come across the wicked gnome, and you would be given what you would need to meet the princess's other challenges. I see that you have passed Johanna's evaluation, else she would have dispatched you, or kept you as her plaything. But here you are now, with Snowbeard's whiskers, which was one of the princess's challenges."

"Your highness, I beg your pardon, but I have come to find a huntress and a job as a cook, not a princess and a kingdom. I killed Snowbeard to save a little girl from being eaten, not to win a challenge," Peeta clarified. "Not to mention, I am not a nobleman as you said the princess must marry."

"I am king, am I not?" He grinned and picked up his sword and approached Peeta and motioned for him kneel, which he did. "I can give you any title I like. I care more for a man's deeds than his blood. You have earned a noble title by killing Snowbeard. Many knights have tried and failed to slay him since the pronouncement of the princess's challenges." Peeta watched warily as the wobbly king touched the sword to each of Peeta's shoulders and announced, "I proclaim you to be the knight, Sir Petrus Mellark."

Peeta rose and moments later the throne room door opened and Lady Trinket announced, "Your highness, I have brought Princesses Katarine Teresa and Primrose."

Peeta turned to see the incoming ladies. The younger of the pair was dainty, with light blonde hair and an easy smile and wore a rose colored gown. But what awed him was the taller olive-skinned princess who had a thick, nearly black plait running down her back; she wore a dark green dress and a simple circlet on her head. The elder princess was strangely familiar; she was the very image of what Peeta had imagined a grown version of his huntress to be, even down to her stunning grey eyes. His jaw fell open before he bowed awkwardly.

"Sweetheart," the king exclaimed. "Come and meet your newest suitor, the man who saved me in the woods, Sir Petrus Mellark. He comes to us with a trophy of Snowbeard's demise and passed your first challenge as well. He looks well, does he not? Shall I order the wedding feast now?"

The dark haired princess gaped at the sight of Snowbeard's whiskers lying at her uncle's feet. Princess Katarine Teresa then composed herself, "It is a task well done, Sir Mellark, but there are two other challenges before I'll submit, if I ever do."

"Katniss," King Haymitch growled, "I tell you that if he passes your challenges then he will be your husband three days hence. Now greet him with the respect that is due him—he has done our kingdom and family much good. "

Peeta thought that he had gone mad and imagined the king had called the princess by his huntress's name, it simply could not be right.

The princess curtsied begrudgingly and flashed Peeta an annoyed countenance—it was much like the expression he was once given by a little huntress in the woods. She said lowly, but sincerely, "Thank you, Sir Mellark, for saving my uncle and killing Snowbeard."

"You're welcome, your highness." Peeta bowed and met her eye and he finally, and fully comprehended that his huntress and the princess were one in the same. He worked up the nerve to reach out and to take her hand, kiss it and said, "May I say how wonderful it is to finally be formally introduced?"

The princess looked him over for a moment. Peeta hoped that she might recognize him, but then he remembered that he had changed much since they had last met when they were children. He had grown into a strapping man, his hair had darkened from pale to ash blond, he had not shaved in many days and now had a thick beard, and his voice had deepened. There was little reminiscent of the boy he had been. Peeta thought perhaps he saw a flash of familiarity cross her pretty face, but then she scowled at him. "Your next challenge is in the morning. You will face me in an archery competition."

"I look forward to it, Princess," Peeta smiled warmly at her. She nodded her head slightly and then exited the room. Lady Trinket followed her out the door, muttering something about manners. Primrose stood smiling and looked as if she did not know what to do.

King Haymitch spoke warmly to his younger niece, "Primrose, my darling, seeing as we owe Sir Mellark so much and that he will most likely soon be family, would you personally see that he is put in the finest guest room and order him a bath and fresh clothes, if you please? We feast in his honor tonight."

"Of course, Uncle," she answered, "I shall be back to fetch you shortly, Sir Mellark." She bowed to Peeta and grinned widely before she too departed the room.

"Were you shocked to find that you huntress and princess are one in the same?" The king laughed heartily and then became more serious. "But I command of you; do not let Katniss know what the gypsies and Johanna have foretold, or that you are the boy with the bread. These past two years she has conceived a plan that she would never marry nor fall in love, causing me much distress. Katniss is most fit to be the ruler of this land, but the law will not allow a woman to rule alone. I also want her happiness because despite what it may seem…I love her dearly and want to see her contented with a love of her very own. The shadow of grief has never left her since she was a child. I want to see her rejoice again. She has thought herself very smart and that her nuptials will never come to pass. Please, let me enjoy watching her try to wiggle out of this wedding, it will be repayment for all of grey hairs she has caused me."

Peeta thought it cruel, but decided it best to heed his king. Princess Primrose re-entered the room to take Peeta to his quarters. As soon as they were out of earshot of any others, she began to whisper to Peeta, "Oh, Sir Mellark I have never seen Katniss react to one of her suitors so. It is wonderful to see. Usually, she is pleasant and obliging to them, knowing that they will be gone soon. She must like you or fear that you will succeed."

Peeta laughed at the comment and wondered if it was true. He then asked in a solemnly, "Why does she resist marriage so?"

"It is love that she fears, I think," Primrose answered. "We were very young when she saw how the loss of a beloved can cause great pain. First she saw how the death of our uncle's wife turned him to drink and sorrow. Then how the death of our father caused our mother such overwhelming grief that she soon also died, of a broken heart. I think my sister feels that if she never loves in that way then she can never feel that pain."

Peeta was taken to a large room where he was bathed and given a new set of fine clothes.

Later in the banquet hall, King Haymitch bragged of Peeta's achievements in the forest to the party. Peeta watched as across the room, Katniss smiled and talked to her people; she looked contented, and it was obvious that she was well loved by all. Lady Trinket announced that it was time for the feast. King Haymitch called Katniss aside and whispered something in her ear. She then turned to Peeta and silently led him to his seat. It was apparent that Katniss had been commanded, much to her displeasure, to wait upon her suitor and share his plate. She selected the choicest pieces of meat, the most scrumptious of vegetables, and the sweetest of wine, yet she would not eat. "Will you not join me Katniss?" he invited kindly and offered her his cup.

She reluctantly sat, took the cup, frowned at him, and snapped, "Do not call me Katniss. Only those who care for me call me that."

"Do you not think that I care for you?" Peeta countered.

"How could you? You have only just met me," she scoffed.

Peeta smiled sweetly and said with all sincerity, "Huntress, I have loved you since I first met you, and I am quite convinced that you are the love of my life."

Katniss rolled her eyes and said venomously, "You may deliver the lines more pleasantly, but you have not said anything that your predecessors have not. I have heard it all: 'love at first sight,' 'struck by Cupid's arrow,' and many other silly things, all in attempts to melt my heart and make me forgo my challenges. Sir Gloss told me of his long list of satisfied lovers and that I should be glad to have him. Prince Marvel thought that he would win my affections with jewels. And most recently, Duke Cato told me how large his 'spear' is and how I should lust for him. All any of them wanted was my future crown."

"It is not your crown that I seek, but you," Peeta told her sincerely. "I wish to earn your hand and your affection. I have been enchanted by you. I have never I have never met a maid as pleasing to mine eye as you. You must be clever because you have found a way to keep so many suitors from their prize. You must be good and genteel because you move with much grace and your people love you and will gladly follow you when you are queen, as will I. You haven't any idea the effect that you have on people."

Katniss's lips parted slightly in the course of Peeta pleasing speech, and for a moment, she seemed to be truly enchanted by his words. Suddenly her wonderstruck expression melted into her trademark scowl, and she said bitterly, "As I said, you say it better, but 'tis always the same."

They fell silent as they ate; Peeta watched attentively as Katniss ate her meal, and every touch of her lips to the cup made him wonder what it would be like to kiss to her. Sometimes their fingers would meet as they picked up morsels to eat. Peeta would excuse himself, Katniss would huff.

After the meal, it was time for entertainment, King Haymitch announced to the crowded hall, "Let the mood for love be set! Let us be entertained! Let our warrior poet, Lord Finnick, entertain us, and inspire our guest of honor, Sir Mellark, and my dear heir."

Peeta smiled genuinely and Katniss smiled only for the benefit of the crowd, which laughed loudly. A tall, handsome man with hair the color of bronze rose and instantly caught the attention of the room, and they all became silent. The man gave the crowd a dazzling smile and declared, "Alas, I'm afraid that I have no words that may inspire love. Affections must be borne from within. It is a mystery how it starts. Sometimes it is a thunderbolt, and it strikes us hard and fast in a showy display. Other times, as was the case for myself and my dear wife, Lady Annie—" Lord Finnick paused and waved to a stunningly beautiful woman who blew him a kiss, "—love sneaks up on you, and soon you are overwhelmed before you even know it has started."

Lord Finnick regaled the crowd with sonnets and limericks until he said that he could recite no more. King Haymitch apologized to the guests, "We shall have to call our party finished, for we have an archery competition to prepare for tomorrow. If all goes well and Sir Mellark wins the challenge, then we shall have an even bigger feast tomorrow." The crowd cheered loudly and was dismissed.

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review, I love to hear how everyone feels about this story.**

**I would also like to thank my fan fiction support system, my betas. Kismet4892 and Court81981, you ladies are fantastic!**

**The Baker's Noble Son**

**Chapter 4**

The night clothes that were laid out for him were made from expensive material and felt strange next to his skin. He was used to his crudely woven clothes, so instead he opted to sleep in nothing but his pants.

The next morning a loud, persistent knocking at this door awakened Peeta. Forgetting that he was all but naked, he got up to get the door. He was surprised when he opened the door to see Katniss standing there,holding a tray filled with food. Her mouth dropped when she saw his state of undress andshe then turned her head away from him. "Sir Mellark," she exclaimed. "Make yourself decent if you please!"

Peeta quickly threw on his clothes and apologized, "Forgive me, huntress! I forgot where I was, I am not used to being waited upon by such a lovely maid."

"Will you have me believe that all your servants are crones?" Katniss scoffed as she set the tray down on a table. "It would not surprise me at allfor you to expect your pretty maids to 'attend to you personally' before you prepare for the day. Some of my other suitors were known for such things."

Peeta chuckled at the thought of him having servants at all, let alone taking liberties with one. He had been kissed by a few ale-idled maids over the years during his village's harvest gatherings, but nothing more."Katniss," he earnestly said, "I assure you that I have never taken advantage of any maid."

"How do you expect me to believe what you say?" she asked.

"I killed Snowbeard, did I not?" he challenged. "He told me himself that he could only be killed by an innocent with a silver blade. If I had defiled any maid, anywhere, then I could not have won that day."

"I am surprised that you are an innocent," she commented. "You are handsome and must have had many offers."

Peeta confessed, "I was very busy and did not have time for such pursuits. Besides I had another maid on my mind. I am glad of it now or else I would not have been able to save Rue."

Katniss seemed to think about it for a moment and then her expression softened. "It was valiant, what you did for her. She told me herself what you did when they came to the castle to trade. The child was very lucky to have you out in the wood that day. I knew a young boy, long ago who was not so lucky… I wanted Snowbeard dead to avenge my friend's death."

"I was happy that I could help her," Peeta stated warmly. "I'm also very sorry for your friend."

Katniss nodded and said in a pained voice, "Thank you."

He offered her a chair. "Would like to join me for breakfast? There is far more here than I can eat."

Katniss appraised him for a moment."My uncle says that I must attend to you, and do as you ask, as a penance for my rude treatment of you."

The two sat and ate, Peeta passed over the delicacies and selected the simpler fare.

"Do you not like the gourmet meal?" Katniss posed. "I see that you prefer the bread, ham, and fruit to all else."

"I am not used to such meals," he admitted. "I like the bread, it is very good. It reminds me of home. But my very favorite meal is squirrel, especially if it cleanly killed with a shot though the eye."

She looked at him for a moment then shook her head as if she wanted to push a thought away."You are a strange nobleman," Katniss said as she gathered the remnants of their shared meal and prepared to leave. As she leaned over, Peeta saw a bronze chain around her neck and tucked into her mantel. He recognized it instantly: it was his mother's necklace. The princess wore it, still, after all these years. His heart swelled; it was confirmation that she had not forgotten him. He wanted to ask her about it but then be remembered the king's request not to reveal himself. Katniss gave him a measured look and said, "It is shame that you shall fail today. You seem like a nice man, the sort that I should like to have as a friend. The challenge begins in an hour, you could pull out before I embarrass you. I have won over many men in other such competitions, Lord Hawthorne, the mighty hunter, among them."

"Huntress, I shall see you in an hour," Peeta said confidently and bowed to her. She scowled and left the room.

Lord Finnick was sent to fetch Peeta for the challenge. He smiled widely and greetedPeeta, "Good morrow, Sir Mellark, I see that you've not been scared away. I think I would rather face a troll than to deal with the princess's scorn, but you affected her more than the others. I think that she may fear that you will succeed."

"I intend to succeed," Peeta said confidently, but with humility. "Lord Finnick, you have known the princess for a long while, have you not?"

"Yes, I have," Lord Finnick replied. "Since she was but a babe, why do you ask?"

"This morning Katniss said that once she knew a boy who was taken by Snowbeard…who was he?"

"Ah, I'm surprised that she mentioned him; she has only spoken of her little friend a handful of times. I'm sure that not even her sister knows of the boy with the bread." Peeta's interest was piqued; he listened raptly as Lord Finnick continued,"When she was in the farthest end of the forest, she met a little boy from an outlying village. They quickly became friends. After her father died, Katniss asked the king to find the baker's sona place in the castle. The king sent men to the village and asked about the baker's son. I so happened to be one of them. The baker was gone, but his wife was there and said that the boy had been lost in the woods and had been taken by Snowbeard. I did not believe her, but her othertwo sons told me the same story. I left the village…I intended to return and inquire again when the baker was there. But then the princess's mother died and then there were skirmishes on the borderlands and when everything had settled, the princess never asked about it again. I had hoped that she had forgotten about him; it was just one more memory to cause her pain, and I thought she had until she put forth her challenges and had Snowbeard's death at the top of the list. Katniss has never forgotten her friend. You pleased her when you killed the gnome, although she does not show it."

"I hope to please her in every way," Peeta said sincerely as they reached their destination

Lord Finnick smiled warmly. "Good luck, Sir Mellark…you'll need it."

King Haymitch entered the courtyard with Lady Trinket and his nieces. Katniss had her bow in hand and a look of determination on her face.

The targets were set, and the challenge was ready. Katniss asked Peeta, "Would you like to go first?"

Peeta bowed low. "No, Katniss, ladies first, and besides I've never shot an arrow before so I would like to watch you to see how it is done."

Katniss laughed heartily. "You have never nocked a bow and you think that you'll win against me? I do not know why I was ever concerned over you now."

Still giggling, she approached the mark. Peeta watched closely as she shot. The first one landed far off-center because of her laughter. Her mood was sobered by the poor shot, and she became more focused and her two remaining shots bothhit the bull's-eye. The crowd erupted in applause. She smiled wide at Peeta. "I'll wager that you wish you'd left when you had a chance."

Peeta approached the mark and reminded himself that this was to win the love of his heart. His affection for her had grown ever since he had met her again and he felt that he had a better understanding of her fromhis conversations with those who loved her. He let the first arrow go, and it landed neatly in between two of Katniss's in the center. He turned to see herreaction, which was one of shock. The crown cheered loudly; he smiled at her warmly and then sent another arrow flying. The second arrow landed next to his first, as did the third. King Haymitch clapped loudly and slapped Peeta on the back. "Well done my boy." The king then proclaimed that there would be afeast.

Katniss waved to the crowd and tried to look pleased, but she was fuming and angrily whispered to Peeta, "You have either cheated or lied, I know not which one, but you have not been fair!"

"Katniss, I promise you I have done nothing of the sort," he replied soothingly.

"Then how did you beat me?" she demanded while she tried to smile to the cheering crowd.

"The bow was a gift from the fairy of the forest, Johanna," Peeta told her.

"See, you cheated!" she hissed, caring less for her appearance.

"No, it was a prize that I had earned," Peeta emphasized."I was told that as long as my intentions were pure that the arrows would always hit their marks."

Katniss opened her mouth to say something, butno words came out. King Haymitch held his handout to quiet the crowd and then loudly asked Katniss, "So princess, what might the finalchallenge be?"

"We shall see how good you are at riddles, Sir Mellark," she said evenly, "for no gifts from fairies shall help you with that."

She turned and left the courtyard. Peeta tried to follow her, buthe was stopped by the king. "Leave her go, she needs some time to settle down. She will be better by the time of the feast. Come and get to know more of your future subjects."

Peeta hated to let her go, but he thought it best to heed the king. He passed the rest of the day visiting with the king, Lord Finnick, and the knights and ladies of the realm. Finally, it was time for the feast. When he entered the great hall, all of the guests cheered him. Katniss stood at the head table, dressed in a red gown, studded in tiny gems- and to Peeta, she looked as if she were on fire. He thought it fitting because he burned with desire for her, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her aside and kiss her senseless.

Peeta and Katniss's attention was turned toward the hall when Lord Finnick stood and raised his cup. "I raise a toast to Sir Mellark, and wish him luck on the challenge yet to come." All happily drank to the toast.

Katniss attended to him and again shared his plate; this time she was friendlier yet quiet, and Peeta would catch her studying him from time to time. After the meal, shouts from the crowd demanded a game. The king obliged them. "Primrose, tie a sash over Sir Mellark's eyes so that he cannot see. We will see if he can find his sweetheart within gaggle of maids. If he wins, then he shall earn a kiss."

While Primrose tied the sash over Peeta's eyes, the noble maidens of the kingdom all gathered. The ladies Clove, Glimmer, Cashmere—among many others—all assembled to take part in the game. Peeta knew the names of these ladies because they all had flirted with him on every occasion that presented itself ever since he arrived. Lord Finnick warned Peeta of them, especially Lady Cashmere; her brother, Lord Gloss, had been humiliated when he failed and Katniss rebuffed him. To avenge his mortification, Lady Cashmere had promised to seduce whoever would be king.

The minstrels played and the maids spun him around and around, giggling and calling his name. From every direction there a dozen female voices that chattered and squealed for his attention. Peeta played to the crowd and moved his arms around in a dramatic fashion. He knew that whom he was searching for would be hard to find—she was silent by nature. So instead, Peeta tried to discern her sister's excited laughter amongst the silly maids. He reasoned that as close as the sisters were that Katniss and Primrose would be holding hands while playing the game. He felt several sets of hands grabbing him, some spinning him to further disorient him, while others took liberties and groped his backside or skimmed the fronts of his thighs.

Peeta followed the sweet laughter of the dainty girl, and he was proven corrected when he heard, "Come along, Katniss!"

He reached his hand out and felt a woman's form with his right hand; he felt the curve of the waist asshe inched closer to where he could feel her breath on his lips. Yet something was amiss; this woman was too tall and smelled of pungent perfume. He knew that Katniss smelled like the morning dew of the forest and saddle leather. Suddenly he felt another hand pull on his free arm with a hard, angry yank. He smiled, knew that this was Katniss and entrapped her in his arms. The crown cheered. Peeta had won the game. The sash was removed from his eyes, and he was encouraged by the cheers to collect his prize. Peeta whispered in her ear, "I shall not collect if you do not want me too."

Katniss looked surprised by his offer but declined and pulled him close. "We should appease them. They want a show."

Peeta touched his lips to hers. He had expected a cool, chaste kiss, and he was pleasantly surprised by how malleable and warm her lips were against his. Her mouth opened to his for the briefest of moments, and he felt the flick of her tongue against his. Just as Peeta felt the kiss becoming like something more than a boon for the audience, like something real, Katniss pulled away as if she had been burned, her cheeks flushed.

The king announced the night to be over. "We have one more challenge tomorrow. If Sir Mellark passes, there will be a wedding and feast will immediately follow. Or can we give up this game and announce definite plans for your union, now that you have known his kiss, my dear niece."

She smiled to the king and announced teasingly to the crowd, "No, uncle not yet, for it will take a miracle for Sir Mellark to pass the final challenge." She smiled confidently at Peeta and then left the party.

**Thanks for reading! Reviews, as always are greatly appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I would like to thank everyone who has taken a moment of their time to review this story, it means more to me than you'll ever know.**

**Also many thanks to my awesome betas, kismet4891 and Court81981, these ladies are absolutely wonderful! **

**The Baker's Noble Son**

**Chapter 5**

Peeta found that he was too restless to sleep as he speculated about the riddles to come. Also on his mind was the very real possibility that tomorrow at this time, he would be alone with Katniss in a bed chamber. He felt a rush to his groin, simply thinking about the two of them in a marital bed. He tried to banish such thoughts and reminded himself that she was not his wife yet, so he wandered throughout the castle to clear his mind. He found a staircase that led to the highest peak of the castle. When he reached the top, he discovered that he was not alone; Katniss was there, looking up at the moon. She turned, looked at Peeta, and asked in part jest, "Have you come to try to seduce me?"

"No, I intend to win your challenge," Peeta said earnestly, "The seduction can wait until the wedding night, and then we'll have to see if you can get me to into your bed. Fore I will not enter it until you ask me to."

Katniss gaped at his boldness for a moment and then scolded, "Did you never learn not to count your birds until they're in your game sack?"

"No," Peeta chuckled, "I was told not to count your chickens until they're hatched." Katniss smirked at him. Peeta looked away from her and glanced up to the sky.

"The moon is beautiful tonight," Peeta commented.

"Yes, it is," she replied more civilly.

"May I ask you something?" Peeta posed, and she nodded in assent. "Why did you grab me during the game?"

Katniss looked a little guilty and explained, "Lady Cashmere has not been discreet in her plot to seduce whatever man that will be my husband. I saw that she was getting ready to kiss you…if I must end up marrying you, then I shan't want my lips to touch where hers have been. If I am to be queen, I must stake claim on what is mine, nothing more."

Peeta grinned to himself, knowing that Katniss most likely felt more for him than she would admit and looked down to the city surrounding the castle; there was much merriment and celebrating in the streets. He wondered, "Is it some saint's day that I have forgotten about?"

"No, they celebrate us and the wedding they think will happen tomorrow," she informed him. "It pains my heart that I shall have to disappoint them..." she looked at Peeta and added, "and you."

"You could never disappoint me." Peeta smiled warmly at her. "You know you are allowed to be partial to me, it would be no crime. In fact, I would prefer it if you were."

Katniss looked very conflicted. "I do care for you. I admire your kindness, courage, and bravery. My uncle says that I do not deserve you, and I agree." She then turned her eyes from him and appealed to him. "Please, Sir Mellark, compete no more. I have already lost my dearest friend and hunting partner, Lord Gale Hawthorne, because of my challenges. He could have beaten me at archery if he was lucky, and he was witty enough to solve any riddle, but he could not kill Snowbeard because he was not an innocent. Gale became upset with me because I would not bend the rules for him…he claimed to truly love me and became angry when I told him that I could not be his wife."

"What did he do?" Peeta wondered. He felt a little jealous of the man who got to be so close to Katniss.

"He kissed me to try to convince me otherwise," she explained, "and it did not affect me in the way that he had hoped. So he left the capitol city to go woo the Duchess Undersee. They were a better match, and she was free to accept his affections."

It was official: Peeta did not like this Lord Hawthorne one bit. "Do you feel like you made a mistake not changing the rules for him?"

"No," she answered. "As much as I regret losing his friendship, I know that the only thing that I would have regretted more would have been to marry him because I could not love him in the way that he deserves. There is no man alive that I can be wed to, and that is why you should compete no more."

"I refuse to quit," Peeta said sincerely, took her hand, and affirmed, "I know that you are my destiny and I promise that I would be a good husband to you."

"But I cannot promise that I could be a good wife to you," she sighed and continued, "I am not able to love in such a way, and you should have a wife that would devote herself to you…" Katniss looked at him and a bittersweet expression crossed her face. "You will be fetched in the morning for the final challenge. Good night." She then pulled her hand from his and briskly walked away.

The next morning, Peeta woke early and felt restless. He hated how pained yet torn Katniss seemed the night before. He decided that he would give her a clue to his true identity and found his way to the kitchen, which was already bustling with activity preparing for the wedding feast that possibly may, or may not, happen later. The head cook, an old toothless woman called Greasy Sae, greeted Peeta happily and inquired, "How can I be of service to my future king?"

"Well, my fair lady," Peeta said and kissed her gnarled knuckles, making her giggle like a young girl. "I would like to prepare a breakfast for the princess. May I have some ingredients?"

The old woman called for her assistants to gather what Peeta had asked for and soon he had the beginnings of his father's cheese buns. He amazed the kitchen staff with his abilities when he pulled the golden buns out from the hearth. He told the servants to take a dozen of them to the princesses' room, but not to tell them who made them.

Peeta returned to his room where his wedding clothes were set out for him, he had specially ordered them. He could see that the king was serious about there being a wedding immediately following the challenge. There was leaf green tunic with breeches of a darker shade of the same hue—he wanted Katniss to see that he had remembered her favorite color. He had tried time and again to hint to Katniss that he was her boy with the bread, but it was obvious that it had not worked.

After some time passed, King Haymitch himself came to fetch Peeta. "Come along boy, your final challenge waits."

In the main hall, Katniss waited for them along with all the nobles of the kingdom. She was dressed in a silken, flowing gown that was a soft shade of orange. Her hair was braided elaborately and intertwined with ribbons and spring flowers. She looked very beautiful and sure of herself until she met Peeta's eye, then she blushed brightly and quickly looked away from him.

King Haymitch inquired of Katniss, "Princess Katarine Teresa, are you ready for this challenge? You know we could suspend this foolishness now and prepare for the wedding."

"No uncle, there will be no need to prepare a wedding," Katniss pronounced, "and this is not foolishness. You promised me three challenges, and this one is just as important as the rest, if not more so. I would not have a husband, or a king, who is a simpleton. We shall gauge Sir Mellark's intellect with three riddles."

Peeta smiled; he had been the smartest boy in his village, much to his stepmother's annoyance. "I am ready, princess, please give me your riddles."

Katniss cleared her throat and began, "I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, to live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?"

Peeta thought for a few moments as he played with his beard and answered, "You are tomorrow, are you not fair maid?"

Katniss looked as if she had been slapped, but quickly recovered, "You are correct, Sir Mellark." The applause from the crowd was joyous. Katniss raised her hand to quiet the crowd. "Now on to the next…at night they come without being fetched. And by day they are lost without being stolen."

Peeta again knew the answer within a few moments, but he repeated the riddles as if he were thinking hard on it before he pronounced, "The answer, my huntress, is…the stars."

Katniss again looked affected although quickly recovered, and nodded her head to affirm that he was right. The king led the crowd in cheers, "My flower, please present your last riddle. We would all like to get to the wedding and the feast."

"The first two were easy, but this one is hard," Katniss announced to the room. "I am the one thing that is stronger than fear. I am worn over the royal-maiden's heart. And I am the dandelion in the spring. What am I?"

Peeta knew this answer even faster than he knew the others because he was the one who told her the answer so long ago, and he saw the symbol of hope that she still wore around her neck. He exclaimed, "You are hope!"

The princess looked truly shaken this time: all the color drained from her face and her jaw hung slack. Lady Trinket asked, "Well, my dear, was that the answer?"

"Yes," Katniss replied softly and her shoulders sank, utterly defeated. Peeta wanted to reach for her and comfort her and tell her the truth of who he was and assure her that she should not despair.

The crowd clapped and rejoiced. King Haymitch slapped Peeta on the shoulders and raised his hand to silence the crowd. "So my beloved niece, what do you say?"

"My word is my bond uncle," Katniss said steadily for all to hear, with a brave countenance displayed for the audience. "I will marry Sir Mellark, as I have promised, and I will not go back on my word. Someone go and fetch Father Heavensbee, for there will be a wedding."

Katniss grabbed Peeta's hand and pulled him out of the hall as she asked in a hiss, "What game do you play?"

"What do you mean?" Peeta asked confused.

"There was only one person who could have answered the last riddle and…" she hesitated, "he is not here. What trick have you used to win this time? What fairy or creature has helped you this time? I ask you again, what game do you play?"

"The one you set before me," Peeta said honestly. "I have not cheated or lied or gotten my answers from anyone else. I have used nothing but my own wit, wisdom, and experience." The princess turned to leave, but he caught her hand and said, "Please huntress, do not be upset, you make me think that you are sad to see that I am bright."

"No, you are very clever. I just wonder how you did it," she said exasperated. "You knew things no one should."

Peeta cupped her cheek in his hand and pled of her, "Katniss, please, tell me why you resist me so?"

"I vowed that I would only marry a man who loved me before he knew my name or title, a boy who gave me comfort and hope when none other could," she hoarsely whispered, "and the only one to ever do that is dead. I have broken my vow." Katniss jerked away from him and hurried away.

**Thanks for reading, just one more chapter to go and it will finally earn the M rating!**

**Friendly reminder- The only way that a writer knows how you feel about their work is to leave a review. So if have enjoyed a story or chapter please leave a review, it means so much to the authors who work so hard to write fan fiction. Even if it just a few words, it really helps to encourage and inspire. **

**You can also find me on tumblr, and Ao3 as izzysamson. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you to everyone who has spared a few moments of their time to review this story. I have been over whelmed by how well received this story has been, you guys are great!**

**I also want to thanks the wonderful and dedicated ladies without whom this story would be unintelligible, Court81981 and kismet 4891. They also both happen to be very talented writers too so just in case you've read them go do so…after reading this of course. **

**The Baker's Noble Son**

**Chapter 6**

Preparations for the wedding were hastily made, and soon Peeta was standing before the priest with Lord Finnick at his side to stand in as his second. Princess Primrose led the bride's procession. King Haymitch escorted his niece down the aisle. Peeta could not clearly see her face because a thick, white veil was placed over her head and was held in place with a diamond and pearl encrusted crown.

The priest started the ceremony and her shaking hands were placed in his, her vows repeated in a sad, forced voice. They exchanged rings, and they were proclaimed man and wife. Peeta lifted her veil and understood why it was so thick. Katniss's face was tear-stained—she had been crying. Peeta placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered, "I promise that I will make you smile before the close of this day."

She grimaced in response before forcing a smile for the onlookers, who were overjoyed.

The kingdom's beloved, brave princess was wed and would someday rule with her husband, who the people adored. Barrels of ale and wine flowed, and all in the kingdom were celebrating, except for the bride. There was dancing and singing on both sides of the castle walls. The feast began; Katniss feigned delight for the people, but Peeta understood that she was upset. It pained him to see her so defeated and took notice that she did not eat one bite nor did she take a single drink from their cup.

The minstrels played and the couple was encouraged to dance. Katniss did so only because it was expected of her. Peeta tried to catch her eye and smile, but she would not return it; she would scowl for she was angry with him.

As the sun faded, it was proclaimed that it was time for the bride and bridegroom to retire for the night. Katniss was sent ahead with Lady Trinket and her other ladies-in-waiting to get ready. Peeta found Greasy Sae and made a request for a platter of food to be brought up to his wife's chambers because he knew that she had not eaten. Lord Finnick and King Haymitch pulled Peeta aside for one more tankard of ale. Then Lady Trinket came to Peeta and whispered that his bride waited for him in her chambers. As he left the great hall, he got many cheeky and crude comments and cheers of approval.

Peeta collected the platter. He took a deep breath before he opened the door, both to calm and steel himself, fore he knew he had one more challenge yet to face: to tell Katniss who he truly was. Although he thought himself ready, he was not expecting the sight that awaited him. The room was bathed in fire and candlelight, and Katniss stood before the fireplace, looking away from him. Her hair was loose and hung in ebony waves down to her waist, and she wore a sheer lace nightgown that allowed him to see the outline of her body. He was granted visual access to what all her layers of clothing had kept hidden from him before. His mouth went dry; he could not speak, for there were no words to describe her beauty. The platter nearly slipped from his hands, but he managed to save it. The commotion caused Katniss to turn and look at him.

Her face was like stone, and he could not tell what she felt; she was silent. Peeta set the platter on the table, wetted his lips and finally found his words. "Please, Katniss, come sit and have something to eat, I know that you have not eaten since breakfast."

Katniss did as he asked and ate some fruit from the plate and then looked to him. "Are you not eager to collect your prize?" she asked, her voice monotone. "According to the church and the law of the land, I am yours do with whatever you please, and I will not stop you."

He sat heavily at the little table. It wounded him to know that she thought that all that he wanted was her body. Honestly, yes, he wanted that, but more than anything he wanted her heart and soul, he wanted this love to be real for her too. He replied, "I told you that I would not come to your bed until you asked me to. Also I refuse to consummate this union until you tell me that you love me."

"Then we have reached an impasse, Sir Mellark," she sighed.

"You are my wife now. I wish that you would call me by another name," he said kindly.

"Oh, yes, you are now Prince Petrus," she said bitterly. "I shall call you _that_ from now on."

"I was actually thinking of another name, a more intimate one…one that those who have loved me called me by," he urged her. He now had a game for her to play to lure her out of her sour mood. "I have a challenge for you, my love. If you can guess my familiar name, then you can decide if we join as man and wife or have this union annulled."

Katniss's eyes lit up, he had given her an escape. "You would let me go so easily?"

"Your promise was to wed," Peeta put in plain words, "which we have done. Nothing was said about anything more. This game should not be hard. Do you accept?"

"Yes," she exclaimed happily. "How does this challenge begin?"

Peeta felt a pang at Katniss's eagerness to be rid of him and hoped that his plan would not backfire on him like a faulty catapult. He smiled and explained, "I give you clues. Every time you want another hint, you must give me a kiss. Does that seem fair?" She nodded in agreement, so he continued, "The first clue is that I have given my name to you once before."

Katniss looked dumbfounded as she thought, and she said in a frustrated tone, "You have given me no name since you arrived."

"Yes, that is true," he admitted, "But I still have given you my name before."

Katniss looked annoyed. Peeta thought it an improvement over her defeated mood from earlier. He grinned and asked, "Would you like another hint? But remember you will have to kiss me to get it."

"Yes," she snapped, "Only because your hint is faulty and untrue."

"It is not, Katniss," he affirmed, "As I have told you before, I have never lied to you. Now if you want another hint, you will have to give me my due."

She huffed and stood and then walked the small distance to where he sat. She bent and set her hand on his shoulders to steady herself and pressed her lips to his. Peeta could feel her raw emotions as her mouth moved against his. He traced her lips with his tongue, and she opened her mouth briefly to him and made a little moan of pleasure before she abruptly pulled away and stood with her face flushed. After she recovered, she posed with much less venom, "What is the next hint?"

Peeta smiled at the thought that he was having aneffect on her. He said, "The next clue is that I fell in love with you when I first heard you sing, I was completely taken in. Your voice is so lovely that the birds stop to listen to you, just as they did your father."

Her face again conveyed confusion, "I have not sung in many years. How could you have ever heard me sing, let alone my father?"

"I promise you that indeed I have heard you sing, in fact, I have heard you twice." Peeta examined her face, she was still miffed. "Would you like another hint?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"Well, then come sit on my lap and let us both at least be comfortable," he offered.

She looked at him wearily before she eased into his lap. This time Peeta leaned in to collect his kiss. She was warmer and freer this time. It felt different—it felt…real. Her body pressed against his and her hands moved to his head and fingers grasped at his hair. His hands wrapped around her slender waist, and he could feel the heat of her skin through the thin lace that covered her body. They kissed deeply until they were breathless. It was Peeta who pulled away this time, afraid his body would betray him if he did not stop. He looked at her swollen lips and heaving chest before he whispered, "I will give you your final hint." He reached into the neckline of her nightgown, making her shudder. Peeta then pulled out her necklace and looked at the pendant. "I was the one who gave this to you. It was why I knew the answer to the final riddle."

Katniss stared at him, her eyes wide. "Peeta?!" she gasped in disbelief and then rose from his lap and wrung her hands. "You are dead!"

Peeta beamed. "I assure you that I am not."

"No, you must have somehow found out about the boy with the bread and now you seek to manipulate me," she accused.

"Katniss, I promise you that it is I, the baker's son," he insisted. "The king himself forbade me to tell you of my identity, but I have been trying to give to clues to who I am ever since I came to the castle. This very morning, I made you the cheese buns that you liked so much as a child. I wanted to tell you since I first saw you again. "

"It cannot be," she shook her head. "My uncle sent men to ask of you after I met you that second time in the woods. Your family said that you had died at the hands of Snowbeard."

"It was my stepfamily who said that. They hated me and would have done anything to thwart any good fortune to come my way. Look into my eyes and tell me who I am, for the blue eyes that you once told me were so lovely are the only part of my visage that has not changed these six years."

Her grey eyes met his blue orbs, and she smiled wide and then wrapped her arms around him. He knew then that she finally believed him. "I did not believe that you were dead for a long time," she said in a trembling voice, "I waited for you...why did you never come to me?"

"My father was very ill, and I could not leave him because there was no others that would care for him," he said solemnly and stroked her hair. "You were never far from my thoughts. I dreamt of you and prayed that someday we would meet again. When I started on this journey, all I wanted was to find a place in the castle's employ simply so I could be near you. Even when the gypsies and the fairy told me I was going to marry the princess all I wanted was to find the huntress that captured my heart as a boy. You see, I loved you long before I knew your proper name and title. So the vow that you made as a girl has not been broken; in fact, we fulfilled it today."

Katniss buried her head in the crook of his neck and her whole body shook. Peeta gently pulled her from his body so that he could judge her reaction. He found that she was not sobbing as he had feared but laughing. He grinned at her, "I promised that I would put a smile on your face before the close of the day."

"Yes, you did," she laughed merrily.

"So my wife," he wondered, "am I welcome to stay and share my life with you or must I go?"

Katniss did not say a word instead she closed the space between them, threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Her tongue invaded his mouth, and they both sighed. Peeta's hands roved her body, memorizing her curves. She broke the kiss and whispered, "Please, take me to the bed."

"There is one thing more that I must hear before we go any further, my love," he reminded her.

She looked into his eyes. "Peeta, I love you."

He scooped her up and carried her into the bed, and together they disrobed him. He told her, "I ordered my wedding clothes knowing that your favorite color was green."

"I liked it very much," she admitted bashfully as she unbuttoned his shirt. "I nearly suspended the challenges when I saw you this morning." She smiled widely. "I commissioned my wedding gown when I made up the grounds guidelines for my marriage. That way if I were forced to get married, then I could pretend that it was you."

He kissed her passionately after hearing her confession. Finally all of his clothes were shed; he could tell that she was curious and wanted to look at him but was as of yet too embarrassed to do so, so he pulled down the blankets so that they could crawl in. Peeta played with the hem of her nightgown and silently asked for permission to pull it over her head; she nodded in reply. Peeta was not prepared for the sight of his naked wife as he studied her in awe. Her full breasts rose and fell as she breathed, her belly was flat and her hips flared, and he found himself admiring her shapely legs and the dark thatch of hair where they met. He wanted to touch her, yet he felt too shy to make direct contact with her soft skin. So instead he reached out with one hand to play with her necklace.

She met his gaze, pressed her lips to his hand and shared, "I've always worn your token near to my heart."

"I envy it," he sighed, "to be so close to you every day."

In a moment of boldness, Katniss moved his hand to cup one of her breasts, and he watched the wonderstruck look on her face as he lightly squeezed it. Her caught her eye and begged, "May I?"

"You may," she breathed.

Peeta enclosed her hardened rosy peak in his mouth and suckled it. He was intoxicated with the taste of her soft skin. She squeaked his name as he alternated between her breasts and his beard tickled her ribcage. She whispered a plea for him to come kiss her. He inched up her body and left a trail of open-mouthed kisses as he went. When he reached her mouth, he rested his weight on his elbows and allowed his hardened manhood to grind into her thigh. She kissed him voraciously and he felt her legs widen bit by bit until she was fully open to him and he settled there. Peeta rested his length upon the apex of her thighs and found it to be dripping with her arousal; he bucked his hips and she moaned, "Peeta, I am ready."

He thought he might burst simply from the sound of her impassioned voice. She helped him to find her entrance and gritted his teeth as he sunk into her. Halfway in he hit a barrier, and she encouraged him, "Keep going."

With a heavy heart, he broke her maidenhead as she gasped in pain—she was now and forever his wife. He paused for a moment and kissed away her tears and began to move when she gave him permission. His feelings of empathy for her pain quickly gave way to the feeling of euphoria as he felt himself being sheathed fully in her tight, wet heat. The sensation grew as his body instinctively took over and he moved his hips. They worked clumsily together, the way that unpracticed virgins do. Far too soon he felt his body tense with a familiar sensation that warned him that he was soon to release his seed, which he did with a few last shallow thrusts.

Making use of the towels and basin of water left for them at the side of the bed, Peeta gently wiped the virgin-blood from his wife's body. "I am sorry," he gave her a heartfelt apology. "I am told it gets better with practice." He offered regretfully, "I wanted to give you pleasure too."

"You did, and I promise that we will practice often," She gave him an understanding smile. "But if you would like to do more for me…I'll show you."

Peeta shook his head enthusiastically, eager to learn her body. Katniss helped him to find her 'pearl' and showed him how to rub tight circles over it. Soon she was thrashing her head on the pillow, begging him to keep going then suddenly her body stiffened. He watched in fascination as her face contorted and she called out unintelligible words along with his name before she relaxed and a sated smile covered her face.

"How did you know such things?" he asked her when she recovered.

"I do it sometimes when I can't sleep," she confessed with a blush, "although, it felt better when you did it."

They held each other tight and were quiet for a long while. Peeta was surprised when Katniss broke the silence. "This morning, I thought that I had gone insane when the cheese buns were delivered to my room, I instantly thought of my boy with the bread, but then I dismissed it as nothing but coincidence... You have caused me much distress over the last three days. I wanted to hate you, yet I could not. I was so upset at myself for feeling kindly towards you. I wanted to be your friend, but after a while I found that I desired you in a way that I have never thought possible. Your presence confused me so much…I was both saddened and overjoyed each time you won a challenge. I nearly exploded with jealousy when Lady Cashmere sought your attention."

"Ah, so you were just staking your claim?" Peeta teased and then asked more seriously, "Why did you resist me if you felt attraction to me?"

She ran her hand over his bare chest and explained. "I felt as if my attachment to the dashing young knight was a betrayal to my boy with the bread… After we met for the second time as children, I vowed that I would never marry unless it was him. I knew that such a match between a peasant and a princess would be all but impossible. If I could not have him, I wanted no man." She sat up in their bed to get a better vantage of his face and confessed to her husband, "When I was told you were dead, I put forth the challenges knowing that no man of the noble class could such things. I thought that I was very clever indeed and that I would never have to marry. I couldn't imagine that a man such as you could ever exist."

"Well, it is lucky for you," Peeta pronounced confidently.

His wife gave him a questioning expression. "Lucky for me?"

In response he wrapped his arms around his bride and brought her body flush with his and before she knew his intentions, he had rolled her under him and then told her, "That I am like no other man." Katniss giggled loudly when Peeta started to place kisses on her neck. She was very happy indeed that he was the baker's noble son.

Upon hearing the whole of Peeta's story and of how his step family lied to the king's men years before, King Haymitch and Katniss were ready to have them all executed. But Peeta could not condone their deaths, so requested to spare their lives, and they were allowed to live albeit in exile.

The royal union brought much happiness and stability to the land. The pair was often teased about the amount of time that they spent in their joint chambers and the love-struck smiles that always graced their faces. Princess Katarine Teresa and Prince Petrus's marriage was a happy one that soon produced a blue-eyed, raven-haired daughter, shortly followed by a tow-headed son with silver eyes.

Overjoyed by the to see his heir's contentment in matrimony, King Haymitch amended his drunken ways and lived a long, full life, with much time spent with his grand-niece and nephew. Upon his death of old age, Katniss and Peeta ruled the kingdom and were much loved by their people. And they all lived happily ever after.

**Thanks you so much for reading! **

**This story has turned out to be one of my favorite works so far. I just loved doing Everlark as fairytale characters, this story seriously all but wrote itself. Katniss as the obstinate Princess, Peeta as pure-hearted hero, Snow as an ugly gnome (the thought of Donald Sutherland dressed as the roam gnome still makes me giggle) Johanna as a naked fairy, along with all the rest, it was by far the most fun I've had writing a fic!**

**I would like to thank everlarkrecs for coming up with this challenge it has been a ton of fun.**


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